Ultimate Survival Dirt Bike?

hoopster said:
Pretty cool.
Doesn't the Marine Corps use Kawasaki KLR650's with diesel engines? That would probably be my choice. Especially if you could mod it to run bio-diesel also.
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yes, but the diesel bikes are NOT available to the public.

the company that converts them has been "planning" on releasing a civilian version, but the availability date keeps getting pushed back.

you can buy a used gas version CHEAP, trick it out, do all the needed upgrades including the suspension, brakes, bashguard and other protection and the oversize tank and still be at a fraction of what the diesel would cost if it were available. but IIRC it will run on WVO without any mods. (but a fuel filter would be a very good idea)

but then i'm a moderator at KLR650.net and have heard this question asked repeatedly every time some magazine does an article on the diesel bikes.

forgot to mention earlier that the Rokon has such a large footprint that it's normally less damaging to the trail than walking on it (ubless you're just being stoopid)... the tires are HUGE.

in some countries they are "legal" (on the road) as tractors. just need to mount a safety triangle on the back... and i've been told that in Sweden it's legal to carry a rifle on a tractor, but not in a car (unless it's cased, etc.) that's what i was told at any rate. i can't read Swedish so i haven't hunted for the regulations.
 
I have a 1997 Honda XR250R. Runs perfect and have never been raced. It has the origional tires, chain and is four stroke. I love it but its to tall for me. I never ride it. I ride my 4 Wheeler and to me thats a good bug out bike. I can carry stuff on it. I guess I should sell my motorcycle. It just makes me feel young having it. Then again, I dont need it.
 
You can mod the hell out of them but they won't have the low end torque or fuel economy of a diesel. In a survival scenario the diesel would rock. Especially if you converted it to run bio diesel. I'll make a list as

1.fuel economy
2.torque
3.fuel storage
4.fuel avail
5.durability

I know I should elaborate more on the last three. But I won't. For survival a diesel KLR would be great.
 
That 35mph top speed would contribute materially to your premature demise, when the disadvantaged urban youth spot you and give chase in their jalopy.

If you can prevent getting run down by some hostile motorcar, it may be a valid bike.
 
I owned a Rokon a few years back and can tell you that it's an amazing piece of machinery. It'll go over almost anything, is surprisingly stable, crazy durable, and it even floats!!*




*Upside-down, that is. But hey, at least it doesn't sink to the bottom!
 
CitizenQ said:
I saw a 1969 version of this off-road bike on Pawn Stars the other day and I was impressed. I thought you guys would ejoy looking at it. Up to 4.5 gallons of fuel or water can be stored in each wheel!

The Rokon Trail-Breaker

The name is appropriate: this monster would most likely destroy the forest floor.
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Oh I had plenty dreams about getting one of these. I always thought was a brute that could go anywhere. Brought me back to the 1960s for sure. Thanks for the post.
 
I have a Rokon that is about 5 years old. It is an amazing climber with the two-wheel drive and relatively long wheelbase. It is also light at around 210 lbs dry. Furthermore, the Kohler engine is quite fuel efficient. However, units without the front suspension, like mine, can be a little tough on your hands when traversing rock at any reasonable speed.

I had planned to use the Rokon in Alaska for hunting in mushy terrain. It will get through stuff that would stop most dirt bikes and it will drag out a very heavy animal. On the other hand, for the old mining trails here in Nevada, a good Dualsport bike of around 250cc might get you everywhere you want to go with greater speed and comfort.

For survival purposes, I think your choice would depend a lot upon where you live.

DancesWithKnives
 
Do these single cylinder bikes vibrate a lot; do they shake the sh*t out of you
and leave you with hemorrhoids? Or do some have effective counter weights.

What forums could you read about dirt and trail bikes
longevity, dependability, oil leakage etc.?
 
The Kohler engine in the Rokon is actually pretty smooth. It has a very well padded seat with a dampened shock absorber supporting the seat. You run around 2-3 lbs of pressure in the ATV tires so they soak up a lot of bumps. Newer models have front suspension and many older ones can be retrofitted. The Rokon is very comfortable to ride on most low-speed trails. What bothered my hands was a road blasted out of solid rock with a lot of loose 6-8 inch rocks on it.

There is a Rokon owners website you could probably find with a little Googling.

DancesWithKnives
 
fnc said:
Do these single cylinder bikes vibrate a lot; do they shake the sh*t out of you and leave you with hemorrhoids? Or do some have effective counter weights.
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the KLRs have counterbalancers (except for the diesel the USMC runs) and don't shake tooo bad. the big bore kits actually have lighter forged pistons and shake less than the stock bike with it's heavier cast piston.

however, on any thumper loctite is your friend! the KTMs have been called "paint shakers".


What forums could you read about dirt and trail bikes
longevity, dependability, oil leakage etc.?
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for KLRs specifically, KLR650.net.

for just anything "dirty" even "street" bikes used for adventure, www.advrider.com check out the ride reports for awesome scenery shots!
 
As I understand it, some of the factory race teams have bikes for Paris-Dakar that employ a hydraulic front-wheel drive. Very light and compact compared with the Rokon's hard-drive PTO setup. I've heard they are very expensive and not publicly available. However, a de-tuned Enduro version might be a decent bike for survival situations.

DancesWithKnives
 
I'd go with a brand new 4 stroke ROKOR. It's got an 3 speed automatic tranny, roughly 35 mph top speed, 3 gallon fuel tank, 2 (4.5) gallon wheel fuel tanks, 2 wheel drive, fully fueled it's floatable across a stream or river, 2 small luggage racks, and will go any darn place on earth.
 
I think my main concern would be getting fuel in a total meltdown type situation. Once your fuel supply runs out, then what? I think this piece of equipment would be neat to have in at a cabin deep in the mountians, but I would want to supplement it with a mountian bike or two, or other bikes that run off people power. Course then that would up your calorie intake then ! LOL

And what about long term fuel storage for a motor? what is the maximum you can store? how much should you store and safe can you do that? doesn't fuel get "old" ?
 
333rm said:
I'd go with a brand new 4 stroke ROKOR. It's got an 3 speed automatic tranny, roughly 35 mph top speed, 3 gallon fuel tank, 2 (4.5) gallon wheel fuel tanks, 2 wheel drive, fully fueled it's floatable across a stream or river, 2 small luggage racks, and will go any darn place on earth.
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I'm a little skeptical about the air in two ATV tires being sufficient to float the bike, especially fully fueled. If it can, I'm curious what precautions would have to be taken to keep water out of the exhaust and carbs, and from messing up the battery/electrical.
 
Pritch said:
I'm a little skeptical about the air in two ATV tires being sufficient to float the bike, especially fully fueled.
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The wheels the tires are mounted on are actually hollow chambers (which can also be used to store extra fuel), that is what provides the flotation. If they are full of fuel, I do not think the bike will float.
 
As I recall, Rokon licensed the Jordanians to manufacture the bike and their border patrol guys use it with fuel in one wheel and water in the other. A good combo for the desert. Just don't confuse them!

I likewise doubt that the Rokon will float with fuel or water in both wheels. I wouldn't want to try the maneuver, in any event. As noted by Pritch, a lot could go wrong.

I have not stored anything in the wheels. On a long trip I carry in the saddlebags two 1 liter Nalgene camp stove fuel containers with spare gas. A couple liters will go quite a distance with the Rokon. I've never even come close to needing them, even after a full-day ride through high mountain country---with a heavy load.

I have a very large luggage rack that replaces the rear seat. I have a set of saddlebags that mount on the sides of the fuel tank and a top tank bag I adapted from a street bike. Also two saddlebags on the sides of the rear rack.

If a guy were trying to get as far out of town as possible, I have a squat 5 gallon fuel container that could be mounted in the rear rack, as well as whatever fuel were stored in the wheels. However, as noted above, you can't carry enough fuel for a really long duration situation.

DancesWithKnives
 
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